Help selecting a TV for a 25' International CCD

[Fallcolors]

We have purchased a 25' 2006 international CCD and could really use some help on selecting the TV. First of all, here are the RV's specs:

UBW: 5,145
GVWR= 7,000 lbs
Hitch weight: 740 lbs


We live in Colorado and will take the AS through the mountains. Typical trips will be in a 5-8 hour radius, with perhaps one big 2 week trip a year. I'm looking for a new TV which will become my everyday vehicle, so I'm looking for something as gas efficient as possible while still possessing the towing capacity to safely haul my trailer. I have been looking at pickups and SUV's and weighing all the pros and cons therein. For the pickups, I probably prefer the F-150 2.7L Ecoboost (towing capability: 7,600). I'm still studying SUV's.

Assuming I will be towing the AS with all of it's tanks full and additional gear, let's say I want to allow for hauling of the full GVWR. How much towing capacity do I need to feel safe behind the wheel? Is a truck which indicated an exact 7,000 tow capacity matching the GVWR sufficient or do I need to size up a little as a factor of safety? Can I go down? I'm sorry for the silly questions, but I really haven't seen anything which definitively outlines general rules of thumb on factors of safety for TV's.

[wulfraat]

I had almost the same trailer (a 2008 25’ CCD). I towed it for about 25k miles with a solid suv - a 2012 Infiniti QX56. Wheelbase was a tad short but other than that it did well. Was rated for 8,500lbs and 850lbs on the tongue.

That being said it only had 1,400lbs of payload, and we maxed it out on just about every trip with some kids, a dog and a few things floating around the interior. An F150 with longer wheelbase and more payload would do better, if you don’t mind driving a pickup around.

The other TV you should look at is the new Ford Expedition. Good power with the premium version, longer wheelbase and stout receiver.

I too tow here in CO through the mountains on a regular basis. I wouldn’t go less than 375HP in engine size with that trailer towing up and over 10,000ft passes. The infiniti did ok with 400HP and around ~400 foot pounds of torque.

When I moved up to a 30’ airstream the Infiniti was not well suited, and after about 3,000 miles of towing I upgraded to a 3/4 ton truck for that trailer.

Enjoy your camping adventures here on our fine state!

[Bill M.]

I do not know the answer to the question of the minimum TV or tow rating for that trailer. I pull a 25' with a 2500 and it feels fine. I drive the 2500 for a daily driver but my wife has a small SUV we use a lot.

I think one thing that would help you is to spring for a Sherline scale on Amazon and get your actual tongue weight before you purchase a TV.

I did pull my trailer with a older 150 for a while before I got the 2500. It seemed to control and handle the trailer just fine. It did not go uphill easily or fast. The tow rating of that truck was about 7500 lbs. It did not over heat or anything. Spent a lot of time 1 or 2 gears down and I worried abut the transmission,

[brad1]

You can’t go wrong with the new Ram Laramie with the big gas engine and the max tow package. All the magazines agree...

[Labeda14]

*PAYLOAD* This is what you need to pay attention to. This will include everything that goes in and on the TV (all passengers, cargo, bikes, kayaks, etc, AND the tongue weight of the trailer). There is a yellow sticker on the drivers door jamb that indicated the actual payload for that specific vehicle...and it can vary a lot. For instance an F-150 Super Crew Cab with short bed in Platinum trim might have 1450 lbs of available payload while a unicorn F-150 in XLT trim with the Heavy Duty Payload Package could have 2200 lbs. Typically the more options and features a vehicle has, the lower the payload. Sunroof, power running boards, etc all eat away at payload. Next thing to consider with a pickup is if you will put a bed cover or cap on...that could add 300-400 lbs. Published tongue weights are almost always low, so that has to be factored.

Another big factor is how you plan to travel. if you want to bring every toy and accessory along with you (bikes, grills, chairs, firepit, giant cooler) you will likely find that you will run out of payload fairly quickly. For me personally, I didn't want to have to think about payload...the small cost difference between an F-250 and F-350 got me over 1000lbs of extra payload.

With that said, everyone's priorities and budgets are different so only you can make the best decision as to what is right for you. Keep doing the research and asking questions until you have a good sense of what you really think you need.

[out of sight]

There is a big advantage of an F-250 over an F-150 for pulling a 25' Airstream. With the F-250 you will not have to worry about overloading again, and you will not need a weight distribution hitch and all the hassle and aggravation that goes along with it.

[Fallcolors]

Thanks all for the responses! This forum is incredibly helpful.

Wulf, that’s nice to hear some comparisons on a trailer very similar to the one I have purchased. I started out focused on trucks but have started giving SUV’s a closer look.

Bill and Labeda, great ideas on the payload and Sherline scale. I know tongue weight and payload is critical and can be lost on the mix when looking at towing capacity.

I’ll keep broadening my search and reading reviews as I try to get a better idea on the towing capacity and payload specs I need.